The making of “Roxette 2011” – the story so far

It all started around 18 months ago. It was almost like a little miracle. First the big comeback news, then a tour with an orchestra, a summer tour and now a world tour starting in a few months. But probably the most interesting thing is the brand new album, the first one since “Room Service” in 2001. Now the waiting is almost over. So here are some highlights from this 18 months long journey of making the (yet unnamed) new “Roxette 2011” album.

2009-05-05 Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson announce on a press conference in Antwerp that Roxette is back for real and will participate on the Night Of The Proms tour this autumn.

2009-05-28 Per says that they plan to go back to the studio this summer and want to release a new song until Christmas.

2009-07-17 Per writes on Twitter that he just recorded the first two new demos at the Aerosol Grey Machine studio in Vallarum.

2009-08-07 Per is back at the Tits’n’Ass studio in Halmstad with Mats MP Persson, working on new demos.

2009-09-23 Per says in an interview that some new demos are finished. Only acoustic versions, no arrangements, no intros, no solos, no backing vocals. The start of recording a brand new album.

2009-10-23 The plan is to continue with recording during Night Of The Proms. A hotel room will be used as a mobile recording studio. Marie is eager to record a whole new album.

2009-10-26 Per says in an interview that an additional room is booked for Antwerp and Rotterdam.

2009-11-15 Per says that he has around 13 songs written and now 2 of them are almost finished. The plan is to continue with recordings in professional studios after the Night Of The Proms tour finishes.

2009-11-28 Roxette have some 14 demos ready for full recording. Marie says that they sound fantastic and when she heard Per’s demos for the first time, she was really enthusiastic. Now it sounds very roxettish, but the plan is to update the sound a little bit.

2009-12-06 Per says that Roxette booked Atlantis studio for recording session in the spring. But recordings will start in January at Christoffer’s Aerosol Grey Machine in Vallarum. Marie will try to sing several vocals to each song to pick up the best one. The new songs sound like a modern version of their “Look Sharp!” so far.

2009-12-10 Antwerp, Rotterdam and now also Munich are places where Roxette are recording for the new album.

2009-12-15 And Bremen.

2009-12-17 And also Hannover.

2009-12-29 Per says in an interview for Radio Halland that they want to sound like back in 80’s. They produce the new album the same way they did with “Look Sharp!”. Songs are short and effective. Idiot clear production according to Clarence, means that you can clearly hear each instrument. There’s also a lot of duets on the list.

2010-01-12 Marie says that Per wrote many new songs during the summer but they also use some of his older songs.

2010-01-26 Back at the Tits’n’Ass with MP.

2010-02-18 First 3 days at Atlantis studio in Stockholm. Marie’s vocals sound terrific. 6 more months of hard work and the album is done, writes Per on Twitter/Facebook.

2010-02-24 Per publishes the first short video from the studio on his Snowfish page, to show Clarence and Christoffer working on an organ solo.

2010-03-25 Drum session with Jens.

2010-04-18 Per writes on Facebook that the new album will be a killer. 6 new songs are almost done, the plan is to record 16 songs. The album could be done in October or November. It won’t be released until end of 2010, but probably in February 2011.

2010-05-01 Another 4 days with Marie at Atlantis.

2010-05-07 The first 4 new songs are ready for final mixing. There’s a lot of special instruments on the album: spinet, organs, etc.

2010-05-10 Per says that the plan is to release the new album in February 2011 with 1st single airplay before Christmas. They are back in the studio recording strings parts.

2010-05-26 Interview for Russian “Sera Zvuki”. The album sound is classic, guitar based, oldschool Roxette. Completely different to “Party Crasher”. Roxette have their own sound, they don’t need to experiment with it.

2010-06-07 Roxette start mixing new songs.

2010-07-01 Per says that the new album is guitar oriented power pop without any ‘machines’. It’s an album of live musicians.

2010-07-27 Per says that he is still writing new songs. 4 new songs this summer.

2010-08-05 Per reveals after the Leif’s Lounge party that Roxette want go on a world tour after the album release.

2010-08-14 Per says in an interview for Hallandsposten that it’s harder and harder to write new songs. Because of that he also used some old demos from the 80’s and 90’s for the new album. It will be different to “Room Service”, there will be much more duets.

2010-09-09 Per says that the album is almost done. Full of duets, with great ballads and guitar power pop songs. 12 songs are done. 4 more need to be recorded.

2010-09-29 3 weeks in the studio. Working at 2 studios simultaneously. Marie’s vocals at one, the mixing of finished songs at another.

2010-10-10 Atlantis studio, Stockholm. Last recording day. Now remains only the mix down in Vallarum and the mastering. Then the album is ready for release.

2010-10-26 Per is in New York City where George Marino will do the mastering at Sterling Sound.

2010-11-03 Roxette announce that they will go on a world tour in March 2011.

2010-11-09 Mastering is finished. The new album is done!

2010-11-11 Per is answering fan’s questions on RXB. The album will be out in February, the 1st single probably in January. It all started like an album of a garage band, but after the summer it got spiced up with 80’s samples, drumloops and synthesizer sounds. The new album sounds like classical Roxette – their best album since “Joyride” according to Clarence. ‘Maybe he is right’, agrees Per.

PS: Thanks to Sascha for grammar corrections during translation from Czech.

This entry was posted on November 15, 2010, 00:40 and is filed under Editorial, Recordings, Releases, Roxette. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0.
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I just wish we had a HINT as to what the album will be called. And I hope there are tons of nice Roxette pics and nice Wallpapers to follow. I just love collecting Roxette pictures!!! Still a teenager at heart….hahaha

GREAT to have Roxette back. I hope this new album is just the first of MANY to follow!